1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to laser treatment arrangements, and more particularly to a laser system for enhancing the healing of wounds on mammalian tissue.
2. Prior Art
Wounds are a fact of life for most people at one time or another. Such wounds may arise as a result of an accident, injury, or surgical procedure. Healing of a wound will begin immediately. The healing process may take a week to a month, depending upon the severity of the skin injury. In an injury where blood vessels are severed along with the dermis and epidermis layers of the skin, the red and white blood cells from those severed vessels leak into the wound site. The blood cells which are called platelets xe2x80x9cthrombocytesxe2x80x9d, and a blood-clotting protein called fibrinogen, help form a clot of the blood. The cells begin to form a network, and the sides of the injury begin to join together. Cellular debris from the epidermis layer begins to invade the area amongst the blood cells. Fibroblasts, or the tissue forming cells, close in around the injury. Within twenty-four hours, the injured or clotted area becomes dehydrated, and a scab is formed at the site. Neutrophils or white blood cells travel from the blood vessels into the injured area and ingest microorganisms, cellular debris, and other foreign material. Division of the epidermal cells begins at the edge of the injury, and those cells begin to build a bridge across that tissue wound. Monocytes, or white blood cells, migrate toward the wound from its surrounding tissue.
Monocytes enter the wound site itself within two to three days after the wound or surgical procedure site was created. Those monocytes ingest the remaining foreign material. The epidermal cells complete a patch of new skin under the scab that is formed. After a new epidermal surface has been formed, the protective scab is sloughed off. Then the tissue forming cells called fibroblasts begin to build scar tissue on the wound, with collagen.
The epidermis has been restored after about ten days from the injury or surgical procedure, and the scab is typically gone. A tough wound scar tissue may continue to build up, and bundles of collagen accrue along the lines of the original wound injury or surgical cut.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a unique wound treatment aimed at stimulating collagen production together with other growth factors to heal a wound more quickly.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an efficient cost effective treatment for mammalian wounds due to accidents or surgical procedures, aimed at enhancing or shortening the period necessary for the healing process of that wound.
The present invention comprises an arrangement for the enhancement of the healing process of a wound or a surgical site. The healing process is accomplished by the use of an optical radiation apparatus such as a pulse dye laser. The pulse dye laser is connected to a handpiece by an elongated flexible optical fiber. The laser handpiece is connected at the distal end of the elongated flexible optical fiber and includes a lens or lenses for forming a beam of light directable towards a surgical wound or a site of an injury. The apparatus of the present invention creates a beam of light preferably having a wavelength range of between about 530 nm to about 1000 nm. The beam of optical radiation of the present invention preferably has range of pulse width between about 0.1 ms. to 100.0 ms. The fluence of the laser may extend from a range of about 2 J/cm2 to about 5 J/cm2. Such a laser pulse is intended to enhance or minimize the time for the wound healing process by stimulating its rate of collagen production from the fibroblast together with other growth factors such as epidermal, platelet-derived fibroblasts and transforming growth factors-beta, for skin repair.
The method of operating the optical radiation apparatus of the present invention includes the application of the optical radiation of wavelength range between about 530 nm and 1000 nm, with a pulse width in a range of about 0.1 ms to 100.0 ms onto the site of an injury of surgical procedure of a patient. The wound may be fresh, or old and un-healed. It may also be ulcerous or have sores caused by disease conditions such as diabetes or it may be caused by a patient being bed-ridden for a prolonged period.
It is thus appreciated that the utilization of the optical radiation apparatus of the present invention with a wave length range of between about 530 nm and 1000 nm, and a fluence of about 2 J/cm2 to about 5 J/cm2 may enhance wound healing.
The invention thus comprises a method for the enhancement of wound healing on the skin of a patient after the beginning healing of a wound or surgical site, comprising the steps of: providing an optical radiation apparatus with an optical radiation handpiece communicating therewith; energyzing the optical radiation apparatus, to provide a beam of light through the handpiece; and directing the beam from the handpiece onto a wound or surgical site. The method may also include the beam of light having a wavelength range of about 530 nm to about 1000 nm. The method also includes the beam having a fluence range of from 2 J/cm2 to 5 J/cm2. The pulse dye laser beam also has a beam size of about 3 mm to about 10 mm in diameter.
The invention may also comprise a method for enhancement of wound healing on the skin of a mammalian patient after the beginning healing of a wound or surgical site, comprising the steps of: providing a pulse dye laser apparatus with a laser handpiece communicating therewith; energyzing the pulsed dye laser apparatus to provide a beam of laser light; directing the laser beam onto a wound or surgical site, wherein the pulse dye laser beam preferably has a wavelength range of about 575 nm to about 600 nm., the pulse dye laser beam having a fluence range of form 2 J/cm2 to 5 J/cm2, the pulse dye laser beam having a pulse width range of about 0.1 ms to 100 ms, and wherein the pulse dye laser beam has a beam size range of about 3 mm to about 10 mm in diameter.